Banking on developers to pay bills
Commonwealth Games boom to tip plenty of money into city’s coffers
LEA EMERY GOLD Coast City Council is banking on booming development in the next year as it prepares for the glare of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Budget papers reveal the council expects developer contributions to rise significantly from $52.4 million to about $80 million in the 2017-18 financial year.
The money comes from development application fees and infrastructure contributions from developers.
Planning Committee chairman Cameron Caldwell said the forecast growth reflected the health of the development industry.
“We would expect an increase in development (applications) in the coming year,” he said.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate yesterday unveiled his sixth Budget using a Star Wars Episode Six: Return of the Jedithemed video to signal the city was looking to the future.
“When I started going through this Budget it was all about setting forth our city economic and infrastructure beyond the Commonwealth Games,” he said.
“I was thinking this is the way ahead. This is my Budget and Episode Six.
“It’s a bit different, tongue in cheek but hey, quintessential Gold Coast.”
What it means for ratepayers is a rate increase of 1.8 per cent or, on average, about $1.26 per week. About $446 million of the council’s forecast $1.49 billion revenue will come from general rates and a further $137 million from other utilities and charges.
The council water rate will remain steady at $1.09/kl. The State Government’s bulk water charge has jumped from $2.74/ kl to $2.81/kl.
Main Beach Association president David Hutley welcomed the minimal rate rise.
“I think overall the rates are very expensive for the size of the city,” he said.
Rates increases have remained at or below the consumer price index since Cr sixth Tate was elected in 2012. Mr Hutley welcomed the focus on infrastructure, particularly the planned upgrade of the Sundale Bridge, with $241,000 to add an additional lane.
“The extra lane moves the traffic along faster from one lane to the next,” he said.
More than $231 million was set aside to upgrade the city’s transport network, including $108.7 million for roads, $5 million for stage three of the light rail to Burleigh and $15.6 million on parking facilities and regulations.
Money from that pool will also be used to upgrade footpaths, cycleways and walkways.
Southport councillor Dawn Crichlow said the Commonwealth Games meant some areas fared better than others.
“Everybody is doing well but some are doing better than others and they are those around the areas for the Commonwealth Games,” she said.
Cr Crichlow said that meant many footpaths, railings and other roadways were being upgraded earlier than expected to cope with an influx of visitors.
The council will spend $97 million this year towards the Games, which is expected to inject $2 billion into the Gold Coast economy.
About $20.7 million will be spent managing beaches, $4.7 million on new CCTV cameras and $2.5 million on the cruise ship terminal.